the weekly pencil.

I have reviewed very few German pencils on this blog, so this week I grabbed a pencil from the jar that would fit that bill. The Staedtler Mars Lumograph is perhaps one of the most accessible higher quality pencils to the non-pencil enthusiast. Found in Staples and most arts and crafts stores, the Lumograph usually comes in a multi-pack with a few different graphite grades. The Lumograph is mainly used for pencil drawing and sketching, but performs very well during everyday use. Subtle yet striking, the Staedtler Mars Lumograph is a bright blue hexagonal pencil with a ferrule-less black tip. The stamping on the barrel is a silver/grey and while pretty, it rubs off quite easily with use.

The Mars Lumograph sharpens beautifully and the point does not suffer from any breakage or crumbling. Writing with this pencil is also a joy. It has a nice, smooth lay down and while it smears a bit, it is forgivable since the darkness of the 2B graphite is just right. Erasing the Mars Lumograph is a breeze and my Boxy made quick work of all marks on all kinds of paper (notebook paper, copy paper, Field Notes Shenandoah). The smoothness of this pencil really helped with differential equations notes this week (FYI: I am not that smart, I am a paid note taker. Psych major right here.). I cannot recommend this pencil enough and with the ability to head out to most major office supply/art stores and pick a few up, there is no reason one should pass this one by.